In the first month since monkeypox cases have been identified, different frames have been used to understand it. Within this frame, actions of “ making sacrifices,” “ celebrating heroes on the front lines,” and “ sheltering in place” made sense. For example, metaphors used in the context of COVID-19 frequently framed it as an enemy, and the pandemic as a war. When an issue is metaphorically framed a certain way, the solution to that issue often follows within the same frame. While this is an important step, more than a name change may be needed.Īs a researcher studying metaphors in health, I use critical metaphor analysis to explore how the metaphors used to understand and discuss monkeypox may amplify problematic, discriminatory and dangerous social beliefs. As we pass the one-month milestone of the current monkeypox outbreak, reports are emerging that the World Health Organization (WHO) intends to change the name of the monkeypox virus to avoid stigma and discrimination.
